Current Position: 24 03.296’S 52 20.250’E; Local Timezone: UTC+4; SOG: 3.8; COG: 303; TWS: 12 kt; TWD: 100; P (12:00): 1020.8; P (18:00): 1018.3; P (24:00): 1019.5; P (6:00): 1017.7; Distance to Waypoint (26s47s, 270): 313; Total Miles Sailed: 14399 nm; Engine Hours: 271; Estimate Fuel: 45+15+50;
Comments: It is 7:00 and three ships are passing N of me 4-20 nm. It looks like another one is headed straight for me, perhaps 90m away. Also, I am passing the first two of many fishing trawlers I will encounter in the next 36h. It concerns me that like the Indonesian fishermen, some may not have AIS, although that would be suicidal in this shipping lane. I am still only making 3 kt on in a strong 1.3 kt countercurrent. Tried to trim the sails to pick up a little more speed, but the best I can do is 3.3 in 12 kt wind. The cargo ship Bravos has appeared on the AIS 20 nm off my bow and will pass within 1 nm without a course change. The ship passed 2 nm N at 8:45. It is 9:00 and the current appears to be finally changing, slowly rotating counterclockwise. Also, the wind is backing. By noon the 1.4 kt current was hitting the port beam, no longer hindering progress and instead driving the boat N. The wind had picked up to 16 and I was making almost 5 kt on. I have had a fresh tomato sandwich each of the past 5d, but ate the last tomato today. I had to throw one bad one out, so timed it about right. I have noted as has Des that there is a low developing tonight near RBay1. However, the energy is relatively low and it should disperse before I am near it. If I can make RBay1 by Thursday (I’ll need some help from the wind), it looks like conditions may be good for passing the southern end of Madagascar … I don’t have a feeling for what is in store for me after that. At 13:00 the cargo ship NSU Pride appeared in the AIS. It will pass 8 nm N of me in 40m. The tanker DHT Panther passed 10 nm S of me at the same time. It is 15:00 and the wind has backed to 95. The wind is expected to blow from the NE quadrant for the remainder of the passage to RBay1. When it hits 70-80, I will tack, probably early this evening. It is a bright sunny day, so I am running the watermaker. The cargo ship Star Ophelia was going to pass about 1 nm S in front of my bow at 18:00, but ai adjusted my course more northward to distance myself from the ship and slow us to pass port to port. Sunset is at 18:13 at the Port Louis, Mauritius (57.5e), at my current location (53e) it should be about 18m later, 18:31. The sun sat behind a cloud bank. I was hoping to tack before sunset, but the wind did not back as quickly as predicted. At 20:30 I tacked starboard even though the TWA was still 100. I was fighting a cross current and the windvane would not hold a deep broad reach. Now going with the current, the boat picked up some speed and was doing close to 5. I downloaded new AIS data … I have a half dozen cargo ships/tankers and as many fishing boats to deal with tonight. At 23:20 I was contacted by the cargo ship CHS World, which would pass my stern 2 nm in about 30m. They asked me where I was going, curious I suppose because my heading was to the middle of the E coast of Madagascar. I told them my destination was South Africa and that I was tacking under sail. They wished me a safe journey. It is the first time I have been contacted by a cargo ship to chat. I suppose with the hundred ships in a 300 nm radius on a heading of either 60 or 240, I do look a bit odd on 285. It is 6:00 and it looks like I’ll make it through most of the massive numbers of fishing boats during the daylight hours today. Sunrise was at 5:54. The sky is clear and the sea calm. I shook out the second reef and unfurled the remaining Yankee in 12 kt wind from 85. It seems the wind has finally appeared from the NE quadrant … barely. I am making almost 5 kt on a course of 298 (waypoint 270). The distance sailed towards RBay1 in the last 24h was 400-313=87 nm. The total distance sailed was 14399-14305=94 nm (94/24=3.97 kt avg.). Looking at the forecast, I am guessing I will arrive at RBay1 early Thursday morning.
Comments: It is 7:00 and three ships are passing N of me 4-20 nm. It looks like another one is headed straight for me, perhaps 90m away. Also, I am passing the first two of many fishing trawlers I will encounter in the next 36h. It concerns me that like the Indonesian fishermen, some may not have AIS, although that would be suicidal in this shipping lane. I am still only making 3 kt on in a strong 1.3 kt countercurrent. Tried to trim the sails to pick up a little more speed, but the best I can do is 3.3 in 12 kt wind. The cargo ship Bravos has appeared on the AIS 20 nm off my bow and will pass within 1 nm without a course change. The ship passed 2 nm N at 8:45. It is 9:00 and the current appears to be finally changing, slowly rotating counterclockwise. Also, the wind is backing. By noon the 1.4 kt current was hitting the port beam, no longer hindering progress and instead driving the boat N. The wind had picked up to 16 and I was making almost 5 kt on. I have had a fresh tomato sandwich each of the past 5d, but ate the last tomato today. I had to throw one bad one out, so timed it about right. I have noted as has Des that there is a low developing tonight near RBay1. However, the energy is relatively low and it should disperse before I am near it. If I can make RBay1 by Thursday (I’ll need some help from the wind), it looks like conditions may be good for passing the southern end of Madagascar … I don’t have a feeling for what is in store for me after that. At 13:00 the cargo ship NSU Pride appeared in the AIS. It will pass 8 nm N of me in 40m. The tanker DHT Panther passed 10 nm S of me at the same time. It is 15:00 and the wind has backed to 95. The wind is expected to blow from the NE quadrant for the remainder of the passage to RBay1. When it hits 70-80, I will tack, probably early this evening. It is a bright sunny day, so I am running the watermaker. The cargo ship Star Ophelia was going to pass about 1 nm S in front of my bow at 18:00, but ai adjusted my course more northward to distance myself from the ship and slow us to pass port to port. Sunset is at 18:13 at the Port Louis, Mauritius (57.5e), at my current location (53e) it should be about 18m later, 18:31. The sun sat behind a cloud bank. I was hoping to tack before sunset, but the wind did not back as quickly as predicted. At 20:30 I tacked starboard even though the TWA was still 100. I was fighting a cross current and the windvane would not hold a deep broad reach. Now going with the current, the boat picked up some speed and was doing close to 5. I downloaded new AIS data … I have a half dozen cargo ships/tankers and as many fishing boats to deal with tonight. At 23:20 I was contacted by the cargo ship CHS World, which would pass my stern 2 nm in about 30m. They asked me where I was going, curious I suppose because my heading was to the middle of the E coast of Madagascar. I told them my destination was South Africa and that I was tacking under sail. They wished me a safe journey. It is the first time I have been contacted by a cargo ship to chat. I suppose with the hundred ships in a 300 nm radius on a heading of either 60 or 240, I do look a bit odd on 285. It is 6:00 and it looks like I’ll make it through most of the massive numbers of fishing boats during the daylight hours today. Sunrise was at 5:54. The sky is clear and the sea calm. I shook out the second reef and unfurled the remaining Yankee in 12 kt wind from 85. It seems the wind has finally appeared from the NE quadrant … barely. I am making almost 5 kt on a course of 298 (waypoint 270). The distance sailed towards RBay1 in the last 24h was 400-313=87 nm. The total distance sailed was 14399-14305=94 nm (94/24=3.97 kt avg.). Looking at the forecast, I am guessing I will arrive at RBay1 early Thursday morning.